Pulling Strings
by Relatable Alien
Summary: Jean-Luc is turned into a marionette and Beverly has no clue what to do until an omnipotent friend arrives... Sort of crack!fic to begin with, goes into fluffy/romance sorta stuff. Rated T to be safe.
1. Pulling Strings

Of all the things Dr Beverly Crusher, commander and Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise D, expected to see when Captain Jean-Luc Picard beamed aboard from his shuttlecraft after encountering a spatial anomaly, this was certainly _not_ it.

"Oh my god," she said in horrified awe under her breath.

"Beverly, what's going on? What's happened?" She heard his thoughts in her mind. "I can't move!"

"Stay calm, Jean-Luc," she implored of him. Scanning him with a tricorder, the only problem she could find were that some of his strings were tangled. There was no precedent, no historical papers she would be able to find to help her now. She would have to go where no doctor had gone before. "As of yet, I have no idea how, but you seem to have been transformed into a marionette."

The large green eyes in his wooden head opened impossibly wide, moving from left to right in shock. "What do you mean a marionette?!" he cried out in her head.

"Adorable, don't you think?" Q said, his eyes shining as he gazed upon the marionette Picard.

"Q!" Beverly voiced as Jean-Luc shouted the thought. "Change me back, this instant!" he went on.

"Temper, temper, mon capitan!" Q chided.

"If you're not going to help, explain what's happened or get the hell out of my sickbay!" Beverly reached for a laser scalpel, brandishing it at Q menacingly.

Q shrank back. "Doctor, I assure you, I did only what I had to for Jean-Luc to survive," Q said sombrely.

"So you admit you did this? Turned me into a puppet?!" Picard demanded. It seemed Q could also hear his telepathic speech, at least what Jean-Luc wanted him to hear.

"Yes, I did, Jean-Luc, and I admit it proudly!" Q proclaimed. "Anything to help a friend."

"Then change him back," Beverly said curtly. Q looked to her in surprise, as if he hadn't noticed her. "Change. Him. Back." Her voiced had dropped into a tone that would have sent shivers down Jean-Luc's spine if he'd had one in his present state.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, doctor. He'd be dead before you could get him to surgery."

"It won't be the first time I've had to revive him," she said, suddenly icily distant. Jean-Luc could feel the wave of cold pass over him. How many times had she revived him, he wondered. Clearly it had left its mark on her memory. Perhaps that was why she was so hesitant...

"But it might be the last time you get to try," Q said, almost threatening with the lowness of his voice. Beverly stared him out.

"You say you are omnipotent and all powerful," Beverly admonished, with a hint of scorn. "So what if we did a deal?"

Q moved closer to her. "I'm listening."

"Beverly, what are you doing?" Jean-Luc thought.

"Change Jean-Luc back, living and well," Beverly said.

"I can't do that, doctor," Q said.

"So you're not all powerful then?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I am, it's just that there are rules, and right now with how I stand in the Continuum, I can't break them," Q elaborated.

"Change him back, and let me revive him," Beverly said. "And, you'll pull whatever cosmic strings you must for him to survive."

"That I can do," Q agreed. Beverly breathed a small inward sigh. "What do I get in return?"

Beverly looked back to Jean-Luc on the biobed. "Don't do this, Beverly, please don't," he begged her. As much as she could read his thoughts, somehow whatever connection they'd been granted also let him see a whisper of her mind.

"I'll resign Starfleet," Beverly said, her eye holding Jean-Luc's. I'm doing this for him, to save him, she told herself.

Q grinned. "And why should I care if you did? Human like you, what do you matter?"

Beverly turned on Q with a sneering glare. "You've hated me more than any of the others! I'll leave and you can enjoy your merry times with Jean-Luc. I won't be in the way, but it won't change anything."

"Please don't, Beverly," Jean-Luc whispered in her mind.

"Jean-Luc, I'm doing this for you!" She kept her eyes on Q as she said it.

"But, doctor, I may not care about your being in Starfleet," Q said coyly.

"If so, you certainly fooled me," Beverly remarked. Once again they stared each other down.

"Oh, Beverly! You've known it all along!" Q spontaneously broke out in a theatrical manner. She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Don't tell me you haven't been the tiniest bit curious," he added in a more conspiratorial manner. He even had the audacity to go and almost put an arm over her shoulders. But he recoiled it at the last second.

"Curious about what?" she asked, struggling to keep her patience.

"Me." He grinned devilishly.

 _Maybe that's who he is_ , Jean-Luc thought.

 _No, he'd be much worse_ , Beverly responded to his thought.

"Here's the deal," Q said. "I restore Jean-Luc to his pitiful human form, and pull some strings to make sure he survives his injuries." Beverly nodded. "And in return..." She froze. "... I get to show you something."

She balked. "What in the world would you even want to show me?!" she exclaimed.

"Time and space, every plane of existence, every dimension," Q said. "One trip is all I ask. And after that, you can choose to either remain there, or I will restore you back to the Enterprise with less than a second having passed."

"Don't do it, Beverly," Jean-Luc thought. "Don't trust him."

Beverly looked at his marionette form. Only his eyes could move. "Jean-Luc, I don't think I have any other choice.' _I always knew there would be someday when I couldn't fix you._

"Is that a deal?" Q inquired.

"On the condition," Beverly said. "That I can scan Jean-Luc befor you take me. So I know he is okay and you have kept your word."

Q considered this a moment and nodded. "Very well." Jean-Luc disappeared and reappeared on the biobed.

"Beverly," he breathed, taking her hand as she went to his side.

"I'm right here, Jean-Luc," she assured him, getting out her tricorder. She scanned him. "You're fine," she sighed with relief.

"A little dizzy, but he'll be back on his feet strutting around the Bridge in no time," Q said. "Now, shall we?" He vanished.

"Beverly, don't go with him," Jean-Luc pleaded in a whisper, his grip tightening around Beverly's hand.

"Jean-Luc," she breathed, her eyes widening as if she was surprised to see him. "I'm here." She lowered her head until her hair was brushing against his chest. "I'm here." Gently, her lips touched his cheek. He could feel tears fall against his face. "I'm here."

* * *

A/N: I wrote this a while back when I decided making a marionette of Jean-Luc Picard with string, paper, tape and glue was a good idea. This was because I wondered how characters would react to him as a marionette. Hope you all enjoy! Still working on the middle part, but I do have an ending of sorts. It does work without the middle part (Beverly's experience of where Q took her). Sometimes mysteries are best kept mysterious. After all, if we knew everything, what would be left to wonder about, to imagine, to debate?


	2. Spinning the Thread

A/N: spacekitten2700 asked for more. Here is more.

NOTE: I might possibly add another chapter at a later point detailing some of Beverly's experiences in the place Q took her. But it depends how well I can write it. If my writing doesn't do it justice, I feel the story can work without it. Also, yeah, long chapter. I didn't feel like the ending of the first section was good enough for a chapter ending, so I just continued after a horizontal line.

* * *

As soon as Jean-Luc's dizziness had passed, Beverly could see no other reason to keep him in sickbay. She discharged him with orders for a day's rest. "I could order the same for you," Picard rebuked, perched on the edge of the biobed as she finished scanning him.

"To be honest, I think I need it," Beverly admitted quietly, in a brief display of weakness. Jean-Luc knew she had it in her. Beverly Crusher was a human, and he was very aware of that fact, complete with flaws and infinite complexities. And he never loved her any less for them.

"Where did Q take you?" he asked in a whisper.

"I'm... still processing it," Beverly said vaguely.

"Are you okay?"

She rested a hand on his shoulder with what he recognised as her mask smile. Beverly was hurting. "You're alright, so yes, I will be okay."

As he tried to smile in return, hers brightened. "When does your shift end?" he inquired after she looked away.

Glancing to the chronometer, Beverly answered, "Fifteen minutes."

"Do you mind if I wait for you in your office?" he asked.

"Why?" she balked in surprise. "Jean-Luc, all I'll be doing is paperwork!"

"I want to make sure you're okay." _And right now, you're not._ She withdrew her hand, closing the tricorder.

"Alright then." She nodded over her shoulder towards her office. Jean-Luc slipped off the biobed and followed her over, sitting down on the opposite side of her desk. He watched her as she finished her reports. _I hope there is something I can do to help her,_ he wished. He knew all too well how meddlesome Q could be. _If he has done anything to hurt her..._ He let the thought drift off. Beverly was a grown woman and had stood her ground against the omnipotent all-powerful nuisance many-a-time before. If she needed his help, he'd be there, but chances were she wouldn't. At least she wouldn't need help dealing with Q, but dealing with his consequences, _we all need help,_ Jean-Luc thought.

When the time came for the change of shift, he opened his mouth, ready to order her out, when she switched off the monitor. "All done." She tried to smile brightly. _She's still hurting and trying to hide it. Is it me she's trying to hide it from, or the rest of her staff? She knows she doesn't have to hide it from me, doesn't she?_ "Now, I'd better made sure you get to your quarters okay." Standing, she went to his side, taking his arm. "Don't stand too quickly," she instructed.

He slowly rose. "I thought you said I was fit to be discharged?" He raised an eyebrow. She remained holding onto his arm.

"You are, but that won't stop me taking care of you," _or worrying about you,_ she added in her mind. There was a momentary twinkle in his eye as he laid his hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. He caught her hint of a smile. _She'll be okay. She'll get through this. She'll be okay._ It was reassuring to know his good friend was already on the mend.

Together they headed out of sickbay. No one approached them when they noticed Dr Crusher holding the Captain's arm.

"Were those ensigns staring?" he asked her in a conspiratorial whisper as they rode the turbolift to the deck of his quarters.

"Which ensigns?" Beverly inquired in reply.

"They stopped talking as soon as they saw us walk past," he explained.

"Oh, those ensigns!" She nodded. "I suppose they were staring. I didn't really notice." _But I have noticed you haven't seemed to have blushed, yet, so either you are distracted by something or don't mind me holding your arm in public._

The turbolift doors opened and they forwarded out. At his door, she let go of his arm. "Would you like to come in?" he invited. She hesitated. "You don't have to tell me about what happened with Q if you don't want to," he hurriedly assured her.

Beverly stared at the floor as she considered her options. _Do I want to tell him? I have to tell someone... but would Deanna be better-? No. He's the one I want to talk to._ "I do want to talk with you about it," she admitted. _Oh_ , Jean-Luc blinked. After Kesprytt, he wasn't ever fully sure of where their friendship quite stood, he'd just been following her lead. He was surprised by the path she seemed to be ready to lead down, but by no means did he have anything against it.

He opened the door and gestured with open arm for her to enter. "Thank you," she said and went in.

"Take a seat, make yourself comfortable," he said, headed to the replicator while Beverly considered sitting on the sofa. Usually during their breakfasts they sat at the dining table, but that didn't feel right for this. "Can I get you-" he started to ask.

"I saw Jack," Beverly interrupted, wringing her hands together.

Jean-Luc froze. _What have I done..._ Beverly cringed, biting her lip. She wished she'd waiting until they were ready, seated with drinks, maybe talked about something else first. Instead she'd just jumped right down the rabbit holde. "Oh," he said. _Oh? Is that all?_ A solid hand rested on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see him watching her closely. "How are you?"

Not, 'are you okay?' - he knew she wasn't okay! He knew Beverly, better than anyone, at least, he hoped so.

She opened her mouth to reply, but had no words. Guiding her over to the sofa, Jean-Luc kept an arm around her. As they sat down beside each other, he held her hand.

"Confused," she said at last, and frowned. "No... overwhelmed... I just..." She withdrew her hand from his, covering her eyes.

"It's alright," Jean-Luc said gently, rubbing her back. _I wish I could do more to help her._ Unexpectely, she leaned into his arm, curling around until her forehead rested against his shoulder.

"He said I've changed," Beverly softly sobbed.

"It's been 17 years," Jean-Luc reminded her. "You've raised Wesley, worked to be a full rank commander and chief medical officer. Of course those things would change you."

"My Nana once gave me a piece of advice about marriage." _Where in the world is she going with this?_ Jean-Luc panicked for half a second. "That you have to grow together, like vines wrapped around each other, giving each other strength. But Jack - he's been gone 17 years..." She sobbed softly while Jean-Luc rubbed her back. He reached ver with his free arm for the tissues on the bench, offering them to her. "Thank you," she murmured as she blew her nose and dried her eyes.

She looked up. "She never told me the end of that advice. That even if those vines grow apart, having grown together for that time should have given them a stronger support. And that they can both move on to grow with other vines."

"Beverly, if you aren't ready..." Jean-Luc began.

"I've been growing by myself for so long, I didn't even realise when you'd started to grow with me," she said. "Together." She held his hand. He looked down at it and slowly laced his fingers in between hers. "I'm so sorry for what I did after Kesprytt," she apologised, letting tears roll down her face.

"You were afraid." He squeezed her hand. "I understand." His voice caught in his throat. _We're having this conversation, right here, right now. Don't stuff this up, Jean-Luc_ , he told himself.

"I am afraid," she said, staring into his eyes. _I am afraid of losing you, of losing myself if you go. I am afraid of not being what you hoped for years I could be. I am afraid..._ "But I am more afraid of letting that fear stop me."

"You are the bravest person I have ever met, Beverly Howard Crusher," he told her sincerely.

"You are the most patient person I have ever met, Jean-Luc Picard." he raised her hand to his lips, brushing them against her fingers softly. He held them there a moment, breathing in her scent.

She curled up against his side, tucking her legs up beneath her on the sofa. He held her in his arms as they savoured each other's presence. The starts in the window behind them zoomed silently past.

"What time is it?" Beverly asked after a while.

Jean-Luc craned his neck to see the chronometer. "Just about dinner time."

"Do you have any plans?" She lifted her head from his shoulder so she could see his face. He took the opportunity and kissed her forehead.

"No," he answered. "Would you care to stay?" He could see her calculating. _What would people say? What's going to happen between us now? I don't want to walk out on him ever again._ "As my doctor, you are well within your bounds to keep an eye on me." Her lips curled up in a smile, making her cheeks puff up and her eyes crinkle. She leant in and pecked his cheek in a kiss.

"What would you like to have?" she asked.

"All I care about is the company," he answered.

"Charmer," she accused. "How do you feel about pasta?"

"Pasta would be wonderful."

"I feel like having something homely, spaghetti bolognese?"

"Marvellous."

She made sure he didn't stand too quickly and insisted on getting the food from the replicator. Jean-Luc only liked being cared for so much, so he set the table. If he had his way, he would have been doing everything for her. If she had her way, she would have been doing everything for him.

As they sat down for dinner, Jean-Luc considered their dinner table discussion topic choices. It wasn't often they had time like they did that evening. The universe had somehow unanimously decided to give them a break for a few hours.

Swirling the wine in his glass, Jean-Luc drifted to pondering their conversation.

Beverly caught his eye as she chewed on a mouthful of spaghetti. She swallowed and spoke up cautiously. "You're staring at me," she said.

"Sorry," he apologised instinctively, setting down his wine glass.

"Penny?" she inquired calmly. He looked up and found her staring at him. They both smiled.

"I was thinking about how appropriate your Nana's advice, talking about vines, with my family being vintners," Jean-Luc explained. "And if you wanted to discuss now, or wait until you're ready, where you want us to... grow from here?"

"First, I want to make something very clear," she said, finishing her mouthful. He waited the few seconds for her. "You aren't replacing Jack." _Jack._ He swallowed down hard. "I don't expect it to be like how Jack and I were. I love you for you, Jean-Luc." She raised her wine glass to him as if in silent toast. It took him a moment to process and react to the gesture.

"As I love you for you, Beverly," Jean-Luc echoed her words. They drank.

* * *

After dinner, they returned to the sofa to sit. "I'd better head off soon," Beverly yawned as she glanced to the chronometer. _Good gracious! Is that the time?!_ "It's getting pretty late."

"Beverly, you're hardly in any shape," Jean-Luc pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded stubbornly.

"How do I put this kindly..." he thought out loud. "You've had a little more than a thimbleful, and you don't seem to be able to hold your alcohol as well as you used to." _Back when you could, on occasion, almost drink Jack, Walker or me under the bar. A lot has happened since those days._

"I haven't had actual alcohol in so long," Beverly giggled. She leaned in until her lips contacted his cheek and kissed softly. "I'm supposing you can't have a tipsy CMO wandering the halls," she attempted to whisper.

He hefted her up into his arms as she yelped with surprise, clinging to his neck for dear life! If he was honest with himself, he quite liked the feeling of carrying her in his arms. If she was honest with herself, she quite liked the security of being safe within his arms. "Time for bed," he declared, carrying her through to his bedroom. He mentally thaanked his past self for being so tidy, even in the privacy of his quarters. After he'd set her down on the bd, he collected what he'd need to sleep. "You're welcome to use the replicator for anything you need," he offered as she watched him.

"Where are you going?" she asked him as he grabbed one of the other pillows from the bed and a blanket from the cupboard.

"The sofa," he explained with a nod of his head over his shoulder towards the living room.

"While I sleep in your bed?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes," Jean-Luc answered, not understanding why she was so against the arrangement.

She shuffled back to make more space on the bed. "You're in no shape to be having a night on a sofa," Beverly said, patting the space she'd made, inviting him to join her. "I don't remember anything untoward happening on Kesprytt, and we were even psychically linked at the time." He was still hesitant. "You need a proper night's rest. Either sleep with me or I'll go sleep on the sofa."

"You don't have to do that, Beverly," he hurriedly assured her.

"Good." She smiled and patted the bed again.

He sighed. The will of Jean-Luc Picard versus the stubbornness of Beverly Crusher. Unless one of them abated, they'd be there all night and no one would get any sleep.

He set the pillow back down on the bed. She grinned, knowing she'd won. _This time,_ Jean-Luc thought to himself cheekily as he went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

She went in after he'd finished. When she came out, it looked like he'd already fallen asleep. She smiled and yawned, headed to the doorway to go sleep on th sofa when he cleared his throat. "Alright," she sighed, climbing onto the bed with him. She curled up and looked at his sleepy face. His eyes seemed to twinkle in the starlight. He reached over, sharing the blanket with her.

They watched each other in silence until they started to drift off to realms of slumber. Just as she was about to enter a dream, Beverly felt warm, coarse hands entwine with hers. She opened her eyes. Jean-Luc slept peacefully, his hands holding hers. She smiled, already starting to float back to a dream. _But no dream could be better than what I'll wake up to in the morning,_ Beverly's final thought before darkness swallowed her.

* * *

A/N: What is your favourite line, phrase, or description? Tell me in reviews! Or PM me! Smoke signals will not work as I am asthmatic.


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